1. Technological Field
The disclosure relates generally to the field of data and content delivery, such as via a content distribution or other network. In one exemplary aspect, the disclosure relates to network configurations and infrastructure to support, e.g., on-demand content titles and “barker” content.
2. Description of Related Technology
Video-on-demand (VOD) and similar technologies utilize catalog systems to enable network users (e.g., subscribers) to view and select from a large number of content titles. However, with the proliferation of more and more available titles (e.g., for movies, short videos, etc.), the extant catalog infrastructure is becoming a limiting factor. For instance, currently deployed VOD catalog delivery systems in cable networks may typically be designed to support only a certain number of VOD titles (in one embodiment up to 7500) VOD titles. In systems where the catalog offerings exceed this threshold, network users may experience errors when navigating the catalog menus. Such errors can be frustrating and reduce user experience and satisfaction with the service provider, thereby potentially leading to subscriber loss. This problem will only be exacerbated as the pool of potential available titles inevitably grows with time.
In a typical existing catalog system used in a cable network, VOD catalog data is delivered on a one-way data broadcast carousel. A VOD carousel server creates e.g., several single program transport streams (or SPTS, such as defined by ISO 13818-1), each containing audio and video streams of respective so-called “barker” channels, and data streams. See FIG. 1. As used in the present context, such “barker” content relates without limitation to on-screen and/or audio content or messaging from the network to network users (e.g., previews, clips, and/or status, mode, alert, or other types of messaging or data delivery). VOD catalog data is spread across the aforementioned data streams contained in the SPTSs. The SPTSs at the output of the VOD carousel server are multiplexed into a MPTS (multiple program transport stream) with several programs on a MPEG-2 transport multiplexer (within a given QAM). The resulting MPTS is then distributed over the network (e.g., cable plant) to the end users.
At the end user's premises, a VOD client (e.g., software process) on the user's consumer premises equipment (CPE; e.g., set-top box) tunes to a different program stream within same delivered transport stream (MPTS) in order to download the catalog data if the desired data is on another program. In the typical implementation, all of the SPTSs have a copy of the barker channel audio and video streams, and hence there are several identical copies of audio and video (barker) streams on the delivered MPTS.
The aforementioned barker audio and video streams may, depending on their content, consume significant amounts of bandwidth as well (even in one instance, let alone several instances). Thus, the aforementioned MPTS/QAM can rapidly become clogged or limited in its capacity to carry VOD catalog data, since the (redundant) barker channels consume such significant bandwidth. While additional QAMs may feasibly be added to provide additional bandwidth for the catalog data, additional bandwidth, which may not be available on the system, is required for these additional QAMs.
Hence, there is a need for improved methods and apparatus which provide enhanced capability to provide network users with catalog services supporting an expanded number of titles for e.g., VOD services, while ideally minimizing bandwidth consumption (the latter which could be used, for example, to service additional users with data/content).